Bakersfield Roadrunners
| Head Coach: Chrissy Buck-Ziegler (UCLA, ‘02) |
Roadrunner Links |
| 2013 Record: 15-34 |
Complete Schedule |
| Starters Returning/Lost: 7/2 |
Roster |
Notes
Bakersfield joins the WAC after spending the past four years as a member of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference (PCSC).
The ‘Runners return four 2013 All-PCSC selections in Shay Fryer (first team), Karissa Veiga (first team), Amber Mills (second team) and Kelsie Monroe (honorable mention).
Fryer led the team in home runs (2) and RBI (21). She was third on the team in hitting at .309. As a freshman, Fryer hit only .176. She has started all 151 games in which she appeared in a ‘Runner uniform.
Veiga ranked second on the team a year ago in hitting (.326). Veiga has started 140 of 143 games as a member of the Bakersfield program.
Amy Ricciardi has played all four infield positions in three seasons for the ‘Runners. Ricciardi has hit the most home runs among the active Bakersfield players as she has smacked nine homers in her career.
Monroe and Mills are the top two returning pitchers for Bakersfield. Monroe won 11 games a year ago, while Mills won four. When Mills didn’t pitch, she saw time in the outfield.
Grand Canyon Antelopes
| Head Coach: Ann Pierson (Arizona State, ‘92) |
Antelope Links |
| 2013 Record: 40-19 |
Complete Schedule |
| Starters Returning/Lost: 10/0 |
Roster |
NotesWith last year’s trip to the NCAA Division II West Regional, Grand Canyon advanced to the postseason for the second straight time. It was the first back-to-back appearances in the program’s 10-year history.GCU has earned the National Fastpitch Coaches Association NCAA Division II top spot four times in the NFCA Top 10 Academic Team Rankings. The Antelopes finished No. 1 in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2012. They were third last year with a 3.61 GPA and 11 players were named NFCA All-America Scholar-Athletes.Center fielder Kayla Henry was an NFCA second team All-American and honorable mention Daktronics All-American. She set school records in 2013 for hits in a season (91) and stolen bases (28) and tied teammate Claire Zampini for a record 18-game hitting streak.Stephanie Pesqueira was named the Pacific West Conference Pitcher of the Year in 2013.Zampini and Kelsey Barak became the program’s first Capital One Academic All-Americans in 2013. Barak was named to the second team, while Zampini was selected to the third team.Sixteen of 20 student-athletes on the team are from the state of Arizona.
Kansas City Kangaroos
| Head Coach: Meredith Smith Neal (Tennessee, ‘04) |
Kangaroo Links |
| 2013 Record: 18-27 |
Complete Schedule |
| Starters Returning/Lost: 8/5 |
Roster |
NotesKansas City finished the 2013 season with an 18-27 record that included season sweeps of in-state and cross-state rivals Missouri State and Wichita State, respectively.The Kangaroos were 16-10 in 2013 when scoring three runs or more and 17-8 when holding opponents to five runs or less.Weather was unkind to UMKC in 2013, as the ‘Roos were forced to cancel or postpone 17 games.Emily Ott and Katie Kelley earned first team All-Summit League honors, while Deanna Friese, Chelsea Hartwig and Ott were named to the Summit League All-Tournament Team.Outfielder Brooke Parker hit .302 and stole a team-leading 18 bases last year as a freshman.Junior catcher Caitlin Christopher returns after hitting .329 and belting a pair of home runs in 22 starts a season ago.
New Mexico State Aggies
| Head Coach: Kathy Rodolph (UTEP, ‘85) |
Aggie Links |
| 2013 Record: 37-20 |
Complete Schedule |
| Starters Returning/Lost: 5/4 |
Roster |
NotesLast year, NM State went 37-20 overall and 16-5 in the WAC, good for second place.
The Aggies return WAC Player of the Year Staci Rodriguez and three other All-WAC selections – Emma Adams, Kristi Covarrubia and Malena Padilla – from the 2013 team.
Rodriguez returns after being named to the NFCA All-Pacific Region team and leading the WAC with 60 home runs and 63 RBI. She tied for 10th in the nation for home runs.
The Aggies have three pitchers – Karysta Donisthiorpe, Makayla McAdams and Nikki Diaz – to replace first team All-WAC and all-tournament team selection Alex Newman, who ended her senior season with a 1.88 ERA.
Kelsey Dodd returns for her junior season with the Aggies after posting a .318 batting average, 48 hits and 48 RBI, while starting 54 games at first base last year.
Last season, the Aggies posted a program-record 11-game winning streak after defeating No. 17 Arizona.
Seattle U Redhawks
| Head Coach: Dan Powers (Pacific Lutheran, '94) |
Redhawk Links |
| 2013 Record: 20-33 |
Complete Schedule |
| Starters Returning/Lost: 7/3 |
Roster |
Notes
Seattle U will host the 2014 WAC Softball Tournament, May 8-10.The Redhawks return first team All-WAC honorees Isabella Geronimo and Bubba Morrow.Brianna Guerrero was named to College Sports Madness’ All-WAC first team last season.Richelle Ashburn was named WAC Pitcher of the Week for the week of April 8-14, 2013 after going 2-0 and posting a 0.58 ERA and seven strikeouts as the Redhawks swept Utah State.The Redhawks welcome six newcomers to this year’s squad – Paige Bouska, Alyssa Reuble, Lindsay Davis, Megan Ottino, Malin Murray and Kayla Shuster-Gonzales. Three are from California and one apiece from Washington, Oregon and Alaska.Seattle U said goodbye to five seniors in 2013 – Jessica Ulrich, Rogin Hardy, Allegra Wide, Breonna Chrisman and Becca Cable.Wilde earned Capital One Academic All-District VIII first team honors in 2013.
Utah Valley Wolverines
| Head Coach: Nikki Palmer (UC San Diego, '07) |
Wolverine Links |
2013 Record: 35-20
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Complete Schedule |
| Starters Returning/Lost: 6/3 |
Roster |
Notes
Utah Valley enters its inaugural WAC season in 2014 after spending the last four seasons as a member of the Pacific Coast Softball Conference.
In 2013, the Wolverines set a program record for wins after compiling a 35-20 record. It was the second consecutive winning season for UVU and the first time the program had put together back-to-back winning campaigns in its NCAA Division I history (2004-present).
Notable wins from the 2013 season included victories over Oklahoma State (Feb. 9), San Jose State (Feb. 15), Arkansas (March 10) and BYU (April 5-6).
Seven Wolverines were named to All-PCSC teams last season, with Amanda Robinson the lone UVU player to appear on the first team. Robinson was the PCSC’s only unanimous first team selection, earning the top spot at first base after batting .354 with 31 RBI and seven home runs.
With 29 career homers, Robinson needs just three this season to become Utah Valley’s all-time leader. She could also claim the program’s top spot for hits in a career (201) with 40 this year.
Back in its days as a junior college, Utah Valley won the 2000 NJCAA National Championship – still the only national championship ever won by the UVU athletics program.